


Warriors

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Steve Rogers x Reader Oneshots [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drinking, F/M, Fluff, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-23 19:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14940407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with Thanos, Steve, and the others that survived, struggle to make sense of the world that remains.  As one of Steve's closest friends, you get tasked with delivering a message from one of the lost souls to him on his birthday.  You'll go out of your way to make this day special for him, but will he ever see you as more than a friend? Based off the songWarriorsby Imagine Dragons.





	Warriors

**Author's Note:**

> _This story contains **MAJOR Infinity War spoilers!**   If you haven't seen the movie, DO NOT read this story!!_

_**2016** _

_"The Futurist, ladies and gentlemen! The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you, whether you like it or not."_

_YN heard Clint clapping as he taunted someone.  She rose from her bed in the cell and walked to the bars.  Just to her left, she could see Tony, bruises all over his face and his arm in a sling, as he turned to walk back toward Clint's cell._

_"Give me a break, Barton," Tony said in frustration.  "I had no idea they'd put you here. Come on."_

_She leaned against the bars and watched as Clint sat in the floor, his arms resting on his bent knees.  He spat in the floor and turned to look up at their visitor._

_"Yeah, well, you knew they'd put us somewhere, Tony."_

_"Yeah, but not some super-max floating ocean pokey. You know, this place is for maniacs. This is a place for. . ." Tony said, trying to use his typical snark to lighten the mood._

_"Criminals?" Clint interrupted as he rose to his feet and got in Tony's face through the bars.  "Criminals, Tony. Think that's the word you're looking for."  He paused as he gauged Tony's reaction.  "Right? That didn't used to mean me. Or Sam, or Wanda, or YN. But here we are."_

_"Because you broke the law," Tony said matter of factly._

_"Yeah." Clint turned and started pacing his cell._

_"I didn't make you."_

_"La, la, la, la, la. . ."_

_"You read it, you broke it," Tony implored, trying to make Clint see reason._

_Clint was done talking to him as he turned his back to him and sat down.  "La, la, la, la la. . ."_

_"Alright," Tony said, fed up with the conversation.  "You're all grown up, you got a wife and kids. I don't understand, why didn't you think about them before you chose the wrong side?_

_Clint waited until Tony had started to walk away before standing up and getting in one last jab.  "You gotta watch your back with this guy."  He slammed his hands against the bars.  "There's a chance he's gonna break it."_

_Scott waited until Tony was right in front of his cell before speaking.  "Hank Pym always said, you never can trust a Stark."_

_Tony paused, looking at him quizzically.  "Who are you?"_

_"Come on, man."_

_"What about you?" Tony asked as he came to YN's cell.  "I more disappointed in you than anyone else."  He shook his head.  "I got you that cushy job with the CIA.  You were out of this, YN."_

_"What was I supposed to do, Tony?" she asked as she shook her head.  "Clint showed up and told me you were off to start a war with Steve."_

_"Did you really think I was going to hurt the old man?"_

_"I've seen you take your fair share of beatings of the years, Tony," she said with a sardonic laugh.  "But you never could handle a hit to your ego, and Steve was making you look bad.  Honestly, I had no idea what you were capable of."  She paused to stretch out her hands to refer to the prison they were in.  "Now I know."_

_"You know what your problem is, YLN?" Tony sneered through the bars.  "Rogers."  He shook his head in disgust.  "I don't know why you bother.  He has a type you know?  Strong, independent, and most importantly, a Carter.  Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you're no Carter."_

_YN felt as though he'd punched her in the gut.  His last comment had been low, even for him, but he'd achieved his goal of shutting her up.  With embarrassment washing over her that the others had heard what he'd said to her, she'd gone back to her bed and sat in the corner of her cell.  She could hear him talking to Sam, but at that point, she didn't really care what they were talking about._

_"You okay, YN?" Sam called out once Tony had left._

_"I'm good," she lied._

_"The hell you are," Clint called out to her.  "Nice try though."_

_"So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you and the Captain aren't a thing?" Scott said.  "Cause I was totally getting that vibe back in Germany."_

_"Don't let Tony get to you," Sam said, lowering his voice and trying to soothe her wounded pride._

_"He's so damn good at it, though," she said, trying to hold back the tears.  "You know what I mean?  He knows exactly what he needs to say to drive that knife through your chest."_

_The guys all knew what she meant, having just had Tony do the same thing to them.  As they all retreated to the furthest corners of their cells to lick their wounds, they sat in silence._

_The next few days had passed in a blur.  When there was nothing to distinguish one day from the next, you tended to lose track of the passing of time.  She was worried about Wanda since none of them had seen her since they'd been locked away.  They all asked about her whenever the guards brought them food, but they refused to even meet their eyes, let alone tell them anything._

_She was just about to give up all hope of ever seeing the outside of that cell when the lights went out.  A slow smile spread across her lips and she knew he'd come for them._

_______________

_**July 4, 2018** _

YN suddenly sat up in bed, her heart racing and a cold sweat making her clothes cling uncomfortably to her skin.  She flipped on a light and looked around her room, terrified that she was still back on the Raft.  She'd had that nightmare on and off for the past two years, and it pissed her off that a few days in a jail cell had affected her so strongly.

She lay back down and focused on the one part of that experience that always seemed to calm her down. 

Steve.

The sight of him walking toward them in the dim emergency lights had filled her with a sense of joy she hadn't felt since she was a kid waking up on Christmas morning.  He'd come for them, just like she'd always known he would. 

She'd been shocked by the brutality he'd shown toward the guards, but once she found out what they'd done to Wanda, she'd changed her mind and decided he'd been to gentle.  The six of them had stumbled their way back out to the borrowed jet Steve had used to come get them.  He'd refused to tell them for months where it had come from, but the secret had eventually come out.

She thought about the past two years on the run with Steve.  Clint and Scott had begged off early on, desperate to get home to their families, but she'd stayed along with Sam and Wanda.  None of them had a life to get back to, and at that moment, the only family they had were one another.  Nat had eventually found them, and the five of them had stayed off the radar as they continued Avenging from the shadows.

Then came Thanos.

She sat up quickly and buried her face in her hands as tears threatened to spill from her eyes yet again.  She wasn't sure how she had any tears left almost ten weeks after they'd lost half of their team.  Her heart felt like it was being crushed as she remembered watching Thanos rip the Mind Stone from Vision's head.  They'd all thought it was over when Thor had drove the axe through the Titan's chest, but with one snap of his fingers, their world had literally turned to dust.

They hadn't had time to mourn for those they'd lost, though.  The world was in chaos and it needed its heroes to step up and do what needed to be done.  For the past ten weeks, they'd traveled all over the world to put a stop to the worst of the raping and pillaging.  Sometimes humanity disgusted her when she saw the evils mankind could inflict on their fellow human beings.

They'd finally needed a break, so they'd all come back to the compound to rest for a few days.  There was still no word from Tony, so they'd all assumed the worst.  Thor and Rocket had headed back out to bring order to the galaxy while they'd tried to save what was left of Earth.

When her phone chimed, she glanced at the clock in confusion.  It was exactly six o'clock in the morning, so she knew it was a reminder notification she'd set for herself, but for what?

Picking up her phone, read the notification.  July fourth.  Steve's birthday.  Steve's one hundredth birthday.  With everything going to shit around them, they'd all forgotten.  She'd had all of these plans a few months ago on how they'd celebrate today.  It almost seemed crass to celebrate anything, but she knew she couldn't let the day go by without at least acknowledging the milestone.

As she tried to think of what to do, her phone began to vibrate in her hand.  When she saw the caller, a sick feeling settled into her gut.

"Shuri," she said worriedly as she answered the video call.  "Is everything okay?  Is there trouble in Wakanda?"

"Everything is fine here, Agent YLN," Shuri said as she raised a hand to calm YN down.

YN gave her a skeptical look.  "I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you calling if everything is fine?"

Shuri let out a deep breath.  "I know that today is the Captain's birthday."

YN's eyebrows shot up in surprise.  Out of all the things Shuri could have said, that was the last thing she would have guessed.  "And you called me instead of him?"

Shuri pressed her lips together and a look of sadness came over her face.  "I have something for him from Sergeant Barnes, but I thought it might be better coming from you."

"He likes to be called Bucky," YN reminded her with a watery smile.

Shuri rolled her eyes and half-heartedly laughed.  "I only call him Bucky when he's not annoying me, and him turning to dust with all the others is annoying the shit out of me."

"Me too," YN agreed with a nod of her head.  "You two grew close over the past two years, didn't you?"

"That man," Shuri exclaimed with a huge smile on her face.  "Half the time he wouldn't leave me alone.  He'd come into my lab while I was working on his arm and he'd be all, 'What is this?' How does this work?  Show me again how you use the vibranium to heal people.'"  Shuri let out a sigh.  "He was like a child in a room full of toys.  I'd eventually kick him out to go play with his goats, but he always came back."

"He seemed happy in Wakanda," YN said as she remembered some of the Skype calls he and Steve had shared while they'd been on the run.

"He was," Shuri agreed.  "But he knew it wouldn't last."  She paused as she played with the beads on her bracelet.  "He made me promise that if he died, I would give Steve a recording he made just before the battle.  He was insistent that it be delivered today."

"Have you watched it?" YN asked, worried that it might be too much for Steve to handle today.

Shuri nodded.  "I helped him record it."  She gave YN a sorrowful look.  "I think it will be good for the Captain to see his friend again today, even if it's only a ghost in the dark."

"Send me the file," YN told her, trusting her judgment.  Shuri may only be sixteen, but she was the most mature teenager YN had ever met, not to mention the reigning Queen of Wakanda and first female Black Panther.

"I already did," Shuri said as YN's phone beeped with an incoming message.

"How are you doing, Shuri?" YN asked, wanting to make sure that Shuri knew she still had friends in America.

"Okoye and Nakia are my top advisors," Shuri told her with a smug look.  "And my mother is always there to help me when I need it.  Between the four of us, Wakanda is weathering the storm.  How are things in America?"

"Better," YN said, finally feeling confident in their progress.  "With the world's government in shambles, the Accords are pretty much being ignored, so we've been able to step in and help bring order to the worst of the cities.  We've got some good people running things now, and we're just trying to rebuild."

"This isn't the end, though, is it?" Shuri asked.

YN thought about it for a minute.  "No, I don't think so.  Thanos is off the grid for now, but we'll track him down.  And when we do, we'll figure out a way to undo everything he did.  We have to."

Shuri nodded her agreement and the two women said their goodbyes.  YN pulled up the file Shuri had sent her and for a moment, she was tempted to watch it.  As her finger hovered over the play button, she started to second guess herself.  Bucky had been comfortable with Shuri knowing what he'd said to Steve, but she wasn't sure if he would appreciate anyone else being privy to it. 

Turning off her phone, she rose from the bed and walked over to her closet.  It was a welcome relief to put on something that wasn't tactical gear, and until they had to go back out into the field, it was nothing but leggings and oversized t-shirts for her. 

Grabbing her wallet, she slipped out of her room and into the hallway.  As she walked past the rooms of her fellow teammates, she wasn't surprised that their rooms were still dark.  They'd been working eighteen and twenty hour days for the past two months and they were all exhausted.  They'd earned their downtime and she wasn't about to infringe upon that.

She paused at Steve's door when she noticed the light shining from underneath it.  Of course he would be up.  At this point, she wasn't even sure that he slept anymore.  She knew that he knew she was out there, but she wasn't ready to see him just yet.  Turning back toward the hallway, she descended the stairs and headed for the garage.

As she stood in the doorway and looked over the row of powerful sports cars, a devious smile spread across her face.  Tony owed her for the horrible things he'd said to her in the Raft, so she figured he had no right to be angry if she borrowed his favorite car.

Sliding into the seat of the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder, she fired up the engine and closed her eyes as she listened to it purr.  She wanted to pop the clutch and leave a trail of rubber behind as one final eff-you to the cocky billionaire, but she knew she'd wake the others, so she quietly eased the car out of the garage and onto the road.

The little town a few miles away from the compound had recently reopened their Starbucks and YN thought they could all use a little treat today.  Pulling up in front of the store, she saw the shocked expressions of the few people walking down the sidewalk.  She may not be in uniform, but her face had been plastered on every television world-wide for the past few months and the bright red sports car with the license plate that read "Stark 7" wasn't exactly low profile.  She gave them a little wave and headed into the coffee shop.

As she stood in line behind and little old man with stooped shoulders and tinted glasses rambling on about Kevin Feige not giving him enough screen time, she looked up at the menu board.  She knew Steve took his coffee black, Bruce preferred herbal tea, Nat was a sucker for vanilla bean Frappuccinos, and Sam liked his sweet and black, just like him.

Her breath caught in her throat as it hit her again – Sam was gone.  Just like Wanda, and Vis, and Bucky, and Tony. 

Blinking rapidly to force the tears to go away, she stepped up to the counter and started placing her order.  She couldn't concentrate, so she ordered the herbal tea for Bruce, the Frappuccino for Nat and three black coffee with sugar and cream on the side.  Glancing over at the bakery case, she added a half dozen muffins to the order and paid the bill before moving to the opposite end of the counter to wait for her food.

She could feel eyes boring into her back as she listened to the hushed whispers that accompanied them.  For two years she'd been wary of anyone recognizing her, so her first reaction was to either run or fight.  Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that she wasn't a fugitive anymore.  The world saw her as a hero again, but that's not how she felt about herself.  Standing in the middle of this coffee shop, she felt like a fraud.  It was only through a stroke of luck that she was even still alive.  It could have very well been her instead of any of the others that had turned to dust before her friends' eyes.  Being alive wasn't something to proud of, it was almost a burden.

As soon as the barista called her name, she grabbed the drink carrier and the bag of muffins and headed back to the car.  She didn't feel as flippant towards Tony's prized possession as she had before, so she carefully placed the drinks in the floorboard beside the bag, just in case they spilled on the way back to the compound.

Easing the car back into the garage, she parked it exactly where she'd found it and made sure there wasn't a speck of lint left behind to show that she'd ever been in it.  Grabbing the coffee and muffins, she headed back upstairs to the common area.  She knew the smell of coffee would eventually drag Rhodey out of bed and then it wouldn't be too long before everyone else followed suit.

Digging through the drawers, she searched for the one thing she knew she needed before she headed to Steve's room.  She knew it was in one of the drawers somewhere – she just couldn't remember which one.  Shifting aside a stack of old ink pens, she finally found it.

She held up the oversized wax candle in the shape of a number one and smiled.  They'd bought it as a joke for Vision's first "birthday."  They'd all thought it was hilarious to throw him a party, but he'd been so touched by the gesture that it had humbled them all. 

Sticking it into one of the muffins, she grabbed the lighter from the drawer and lit the wick before placing it on a plate.  She wasn't sure Steve would invite her into his room, but on the off chance he did, she left her coffee beside Steve's in the drink carrier and added another muffin to the plate.

Standing outside of his door, she could see the light was on, so she knew he was awake.  Balancing the plate on one arm, she knocked lightly so he could choose to ignore her if he wanted.  She strained her ears as she tried to hear if he was walking across the room to open the door.  When she heard his feet hit the floor, she let out a relieved sigh.

The shock of seeing him with a shaggy hair and a beard hadn't yet worn off, so when he cracked the door and peered out into the hall at her, she had to remind herself that this was her Steve.  Well, not exactly hers, but the man she'd known and loved for almost ten years.  He looked down at the glowing candle sticking out of the top of a muffin and gave her a confused look.

"Happy birthday," she told him with a hesitant smile.

"It's not. . ." he began, but stopped himself.  "Hmph.  I guess it is."

"I brought you coffee and muffin," she offered lamely.  "I know it's not much, but I thought you deserved something today."

"You didn't have to do that," he told her as he opened the door and motioned for her to come inside.  "Thanks, though."

She walked over to the small table and chairs by the kitchenette in the corner of his room.  Placing one of the coffees at the opposite chair, she waited until he'd taken a seat before she joined him.

"Should I make a wish?" he asked as he stared at the flickering flame of the candle.

"At thing, what could it hurt?"

He let out a sigh before leaning over and blowing out the candle.  "They say if you tell someone what you wished for, it won't come true."  He looked up and met her eyes.  "I don't think I need to tell you what I wished for, do I?"

"I have a feeling it's the same wish everyone in the universe has right now."

He plucked the candle out of the muffin and held it up to inspect it.  "What kind of muffin is this?"

"Bran," she said, trying to hold back the smile.

It had been a while since she'd been given the eyebrows of disappointment, so she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face when the signature look came across his.  "What?  You're a hundred years old – you need your fiber."

He shook his head and took a bite.  "This actually isn't half bad."

"It's an oatmeal chocolate chip bran muffin," she told him with a wink.  "I'm not completely cruel."

They sat in silence for a few minutes while they ate their muffins and drank their coffee.  She knew she needed to broach the topic of Bucky's video message, but she hated to ruin the moment.  Taking her time sipping her coffee, she waited until Steve had finished his before speaking again.

"So, I got a call this morning," she said, trying to ease into the topic.

He paused and raised one eyebrow in question.  "Nothing's wrong, I hope."

"No," she said waving off his concern.  "It was Shuri."  She stopped and took a breath before deciding to jump straight to the point.  "Bucky recorded a video for you before the battle started.  He told Shuri to send it to you today if. . .well, if he didn't make it through."

"Oh," he said, looking shocked.  "Okay.  I, uh, I didn't see that coming."

"It's on my phone," she explained, starting to get nervous.  "I can send it to you, or. . ."

"No," he said, interrupting her.  "Just go ahead and play it."

Still hesitant, she asked, "Are you sure?  I can just leave my phone here so you can watch it by yourself."

He shook his head as he reached for her hand.  "I don't want to be by myself right now."

She squeezed his hand.  "Then I'll stay."

Propping up her phone against the drink carrier, she opened the file and shot a quick glance in his direction to make sure he was ready.  When he nodded, she hit play.

She recognized Shuri's lab in the background as Bucky walked into the frame and sat on a stool.  He was wearing the new uniform Shuri had designed for him and the new arm had already been attached.  Running a hand nervously through his hair he squinted into the camera.

"Is it on?" he asked.  "Are you recording yet?"

"Yes, Sergeant Barnes," Shuri answered off screen.

YN and Steve both laughed at the obviously annoyed tone in her voice.  Bucky glared at her for a moment before focusing back on the camera.

"Hello, Steve," he began before taking a deep breath.  "If you're watching this, then it means I didn't make it through this one."  He paused for a moment before looking off to the side and pursing his lips.  "Either that, or Shuri is being a little shit and showing this to you anyway."

They could hear Shuri making noised of protest in the background before both she and Bucky break down laughing.  YN looked over at Steve to see how he was reacting to the video and wasn't shocked to see tears swimming in his eyes.  He still had a hold of one of her hands, so she gave it a light squeeze as Bucky started speaking again.

"You're going to edit that part out, right?" Bucky asked Shuri.

"Of course I will, Sergeant Barnes," Shuri said, sarcasm dripping off of her words.  "Why on Earth would the Captain want to see you laughing and smiling?  Pfft.  We all know Bucky Barnes is a serious, broody man who can't ever be caught smiling."

Bucky glares at Shuri again, but both YN and Steve can see there's no malice behind it.  He turns back to the camera and the smile falls from his face.

"Happy birthday, Steve," Bucky begins again.  "I can't believe you're a hundred years old today.  I honestly thought you'd never live to see twenty-five."  He took a breath as his eyes shifted away from the camera.  "Do you remember what it was like back then?  Back when the craziest thing we'd ever seen was Howard Stark's flying car?  Then I got called off to war.  You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid, and what did you do?  You went off and let the man, who couldn't even get a flying car to work, inject you with an experimental drug that could've killed you."

He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers.  "A strong wind could've killed back then, but you just didn't know when to stop.  You still don't.  But that's why we're here.  Mr. Back Alley Hero never could walk away from a fight, especially when you thought some wrong needed righted.  But that's what I admired the most about you.  I looked up to you, Steve.  I still do.  You're the best man I know, and you've always had my back no matter what.  I didn't deserve your friendship back then and I definitely don't deserve it now, but here were are.  Neither one of us can turn away when those we care about are in danger and right now, the entire world is in danger."

Bucky took a breath and looked into the camera as though he could see Steve sitting on the other side watching him.  "You picked up a shield to save me certain death, and then you gave up that shield to save my life again, and I'll forever be in your debt for that.  But it's time to pick up the shield again Steve.  I'm not sure if any of us are going to make it out of this one alive, but if anyone can beat the odds, my money's on you.  If I'm truly gone, then I hope I went out protecting your dumb ass, cause that's the only way I'm getting into heaven."

Bucky started chuckling at his own joke and YN looked over to see a smile on Steve's face as well. 

"You're my best friend, Steve," Bucky said as one corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.  "But where I've gone, you can't follow – at least not yet.  The world needs you, and I don't mean Captain America.  The world needs Steve Rogers.  They need the scrappy little kid from Brooklyn who was too stubborn to walk away from a fight.  We've been soldiers all of our lives, pal, and that's never going to change. 

So, celebrate today because you've earned it.  But tomorrow morning, you need to pick up that shield and be the warrior that I know you are."

"The jet is almost here," they heard Shuri say in the background.

Bucky nodded.  "I always said I'd be with you till the end of the line, but it looks like my stop came a little earlier than yours.  Take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid once I'm gone."

The video ended, but neither she not Steve moved.  YN's eyes were filled with tears, but she did her best to hold them back.  Out of all the ones they lost that day, Bucky's death had hit Steve the hardest.  He'd done his best not to show it, knowing that the rest of them needed their Captain to lead them, but she'd seen behind the brave façade he'd adopted.  Deep down, he was hurting more than any of them, but he hadn't allowed himself the time to grieve.

"I think I need. . ."

YN stopped him before he could finish his sentence.  "It's okay, I get it.  Take today off – you've earned it.  The world can survive one day without Captain America."

She rose and laid a hand on his shoulder.  She gave it a squeeze and he placed his hand over hers as he looked up at her.

"Thank you, YN."

"I'm always here for you," she told him as she looked deep into his eyes.  "You know that, right?"

She didn't wait for an answer.  Grabbing her phone and the empty containers, she quietly let herself out of his room.  As she shut the door behind her, she saw him sitting exactly where she'd left him.  A part of her wanted to go back in and pull him into her arms, but she knew it wasn't her place.

Walking into the kitchen, she wasn't surprised to see the rest of the team devouring the treats she'd left out for them.  With a smile, she threw away her and Steve's trash and pulled up a stool beside Bruce.

Nat leaned against the counter on her elbows as she sipped her Frappuccino loudly through the straw with her eyes closed.  Rhodey stood beside her shaking his head in disgust.

"I'm assuming we have you to thank for this?" Bruce asked as he pinched off a bit of the lemon blueberry muffin she'd picked out for him.

YN looked back over her shoulder toward the hall leading toward Steve's room, but there was no one behind her.  "You guys haven't noticed the date, have you?"

Nat popped a piece of the triple chocolate muffin before grabbing her phone and checking the screen.  "Shit."

"What is it?" Bruce asked as he looked at his friends nervously.  "What is today?"

Rhodey looked over Nat's shoulder and closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath.  "It's the 4th of July."

"Okay," Bruce said, still not getting it.  "Are we worried about fireworks?  Is there a cookout we forgot to RSVP to?  What?"

"It's Steve's birthday," YN reminded him.

"It's Steve's one hundredth birthday." Rhodey looked at the three of them.  "What do we do?"

"Nothing," Nat announced as she finished her muffin.  "He wants to be alone, doesn't he, YN?"

"Shuri called me this morning," YN began, knowing that the team needed to know where Steve's frame of mind was at the moment.  "Bucky made a video before the battle and her send it to Steve today.  So, yes, he wants to be alone right now."

"Then we'll give him what he needs," Rhodey said with a determined look on his face.  "We came here for a little downtime, and Steve needs it more than any of us right now."

"Has anybody actually seen him sleep since it all went down?" Bruce asked, looking at each of them shake their heads no.  "That's what I thought."

"It's still the 4th of July," YN reminded them.  "I say we go ahead and do something for ourselves and if Steve wants to join us, he can."  She waited to see if anyone would disagree before continuing.  "We need a little normal in our lives right now."

The four of them had decided to give Steve some space, so they'd headed to the lake for the day.  Nat had made sure to pack plenty of beer and snacks so they wouldn't need to go back to the compound for anything.  They'd left Steve a note asking him to join them, but either he'd stayed in his room, or he'd ignored their request to spend the day by himself.

Bruce and Rhodey had gone into town to grab some hotdogs and buns while YN and Nat built a small bonfire by the shoreline.  They'd roasted their dogs over the open flames while they'd drank beer and told old stories to remember their fallen friends.  All in all, it was a good day, but they knew something was missing.

The town on the other side of the lake had let off a few fireworks, but it just didn't feel like the 4th of July.  Even when they'd been on the run, YN and Nat had celebrated the day with Steve, so not having him there made the holiday seem hollow and wrong.

They'd packed up their towels and coolers and started back toward the compound, but at the last moment, YN had begged off and headed back to the lake.  She'd had a great time with her friends, but what she really needed was a nice long walk by herself.

The moon was only about half full in the sky above, so there was a little bit of light shining on the lake for her to see by.  Even still, when she spotted the figure walking toward her, she wasn't sure if he were real, or just a shadow.  As they drew closer to one another, she immediately recognized his distinctive form.

"Hey," he said as they finally grew close enough to see one another.

"Hey," she answered back, not sure what to say.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked down at his feet.  "I feel like I should thank you again for this morning."

"It was nothing," she told him.

"No," he said as he looked back up at her.  "It meant a lot to me that you remembered."

"The others would've. . ."

"I asked to be left alone," he said, interrupting her.  "And you made I got what I wanted."

"They didn't forget."

He gave her a smile and nodded his head.  "I know.  Even with everything going to hell these past few weeks, people still remembered me."

Her mouth fell open in surprise.  "Oh, who else remembered?"  He gave her an odd look as he tried to decide whether or not to answer her.  "You know what?  Never mind, it's none of my business."

She turned to walk away, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard the one name she dreaded most of all coming out of his mouth.

"Sharon."

Still not facing him, she squared her shoulders and struggled not to let her voice crack.  "How is Sharon?"

He stared at her back, wishing she'd turn around and look at him, but he knew she wouldn't.  "She's fine.  Actually, she's doing pretty great right now.  Told me that she and Everett Ross are getting married."

"What?" YN asked as she turned around in shock.  "Sharon and Ross?  When did that happen?"

"Listen, YN."  

Steve started to speak, but his words were suddenly drowned out by AC/DC's Back in Black blaring from the sky above them.  Their conversation forgotten, they both looked up at the sky in disbelief as a spaceship began descending toward the landing pad on the other side of the compound.

"It can't be. . ." YN said as she glanced over at Steve.

"Who else would make an entrance like that?" Steve said with a shrug.

With a laugh they both took off running.  YN knew Steve could outrun her any day of the week, but for some reason he decided to keep pace with her.  They reached the landing pad just as the doors to the compound burst open to reveal Nat, Bruce, and Rhodey.  They all looked at each other and shook their heads as they waited for the cargo door to open.

"Did I miss the party?" Tony said as he exited the ship, his arms stretched wide.  Turning back to the other occupants of the ship, he asked, "It is the 4th of July, right?  You told me it was the 4th of July."

None of them dared to move, knowing that Steve needed to be the one to approach him first.  The last they'd seen of each other had been in Siberia, and although none of them had been there to witness that battle, they'd each heard stories that had made them cringe.

"You son of a bitch," Steve said as he walked toward Tony. 

Tony took a hesitant step back, looking poised to fight, but when Steve pulled him into a hug, he let out a relieved breath and returned the embrace.

"Did ya miss me?"

"We thought you were dead, Tony," Rhodey yelled as he shook his head in anger.

"I told you to send a raven," Thor said from behind Tony.

Rocket buried his face in his hand and shook his head.  "For the last time, ravens can't fly through space."

"He wanted to make an entrance, you fools."

Everyone looked to the corner of the loading ramp to see a blue woman with a metal arm eating a piece of fruit no one could identify.  None of them knew who she was, but she looked like someone you didn't want to mess with.

"That's Nebula," Rocket said with disgust as he threw up his hands and started walking down the ramp.  "Don't ask me why she's still around.  I told them she would betray us all at the first opportunity, but does anyone listen to me?"  He stopped and sniffed the air.  "Stark said there'd be food.  I don't smell any food."

"Nonsense, Rabbit," Thor said with a wide grin as Tony took turns hugging Bruce and Nat.  "Nebula is our friend.  She wants to defeat Thanos just as much as the rest of us."

"So, there's still no sign of him?" Bruce asked.

Thor's smile faded.  "We've been scouring the universe for him, but no one has seen or heard from him."

"He's out there somewhere," Tony said, nodding his head.  "And when we find him, we'll make him pay for what he did."  He paused and looked at Steve.  "I heard about Barnes.  Can't say I'm too broken up about it, but I know he was your friend.  We've all lost someone important to us, but now's not the time to mourn.  We need to refocus all of our efforts on finding that son of a bitch and figuring out how to undo what he did."

"You think we have a chance?" YN asked, finally breaking her silence.

Tony let out a sigh as he walked toward her.  He hesitated a moment before pulling her into his embrace.  "I'm sorry about. . .well, you know what I'm sorry about."

She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye.  "It's in the past, Tony.  I'm just glad you're back."

"As for whether or not we have a chance," Tony said as he addressed the whole group.  "I think we do.  Strange was a bit cryptic, but I think he knew it had to go down like this.  It's not going to be easy, and it's not going to be fun, but I won't stop until I've exhausted all efforts."

Steve's expression turned serious.  "Where do we start?"

For the next few hours, they drank, they ate, and they plotted Thanos' death.  It may not have been the ideal birthday party for Steve, but a member of their family had come back to them, so it was reason enough to celebrate.

As the night started seeping into morning, they all decided to call it a night.  After listening to Tony complain about "freeloaders mooching off of his hospitality," they decided to wait until morning to clean up, just so they could annoy him. 

Feeling guilty, YN stayed behind and started picking up the empty bottles and cans.  She'd thought she was alone, so when she heard someone walk into the room, she turned around in surprise.

"Steve?  Why are you still up?"

"We were interrupted down at the lake," he said with a shrug.  "There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

He walked over and took the beer bottles out of her hand and placed them on the counter.  "No, it really can't."

Finally realizing that he was serious, she gave him her full attention.  "What's on your mind?"

"It's Sharon."

She wanted to scream, but she held it in.  Taking a deep breath, she did her best to keep her voice calm.  "Did you want me to help you try to win her back?"

"What?" Steve asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.  "No.  Why would you think that?"

"I don't know," she answered as she tried to figure out what to say.  "I know the past two years were tough on you two.  I mean, obviously, since she's marrying Ross.  But you love her, don't you?"

He took a deep breath and let it out as he dropped his head.  When he looked back up at her, she saw something in his eyes that she couldn't quite describe.

"Sharon is a great girl. . ."

"Woman," she correctly automatically.  "Sorry, go on."

"Sharon is a great woman," he began again.  "But she and I were never going to work and we both knew it.  She never really agreed with the Accords, but she chose to stay with the Joint Task Force, and that put us on opposite sides of the law."  He paused for a moment.  "Sharon is good at what she does, but her job requires her to lie to everyone she knows and loves.  I understand the need for it, but I don't want to be the one she has to lie to."

"That's understandable," she agreed.

"She was never really there for me, either," Steve said, voicing his frustrations out loud for the first time.  "I mean, yes, she gave us intel when we needed it, but she was never there.  I know it sounds ridiculous, especially now, but I don't want to be involved with someone that I can never count on when I need her."

"There's someone out there for you, Steve," YN said, trying to keep her emotions in check.  All this time, she'd held back her feelings in respect for his relationship with Sharon, and now it seemed like he was finally moving on, but would he want her.

He stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek.  "I know there is, and she's been right in front of me the whole time."

"Steve. . ."

"Don't say anything," he warned.  "I've been working on this speech all day long and I'm not about to let you ruin it."

She couldn't help but laugh as she dropped her head.  Looking back up at him, the smile faded from her lips when she saw the intensity in his eyes.  "Well, go on.  I'm dying to hear what you've got to say."

"YN," he said, saying her name just to hear the sound of it.  "You have been by my side since I came out of the ice.  You've been a friend, you've been a shoulder to lean on, you've had my back more times that I can even remember.  You left your entire life behind to help me protect Bucky two years ago.  You went to prison for me, and then you became a fugitive on the run with me.  You've fought side by side with me through every single battle, and I'll readily admit that I've taken you for granted over the years.

"This morning when you showed up at my door with my coffee exactly the way I like it and a stupid candle in a muffin, I was actually glad to see you.  Not anyone else on the team.  I was glad it was you."  He paused to collect his thoughts.  "It didn't hit me until you told me that Shuri had sent Bucky's video to you.  She could have called anyone, but she called you.  After you left, I asked myself why, and that's when it hit me.  Everyone can see it, but I've been blind all of these years.  I've had the perfect girl. . ." He held up a hand before she could say anything.  "Sorry.  Woman. . .standing right in front of me this entire time."

He looked down at her, trying to read her expression, but her face was completely blank.  He was starting to get worried that he'd completely screwed up their friendship.

"Are you finished?" she asked, still keeping her emotions carefully hidden.

A crestfallen look came over his face as he dropped his hand.  "Yeah, I'm finished."

"Then kiss me."

"What?"

"You heard me."

He watched as a smile began spreading across her face.  With a shake of his head, he cupped her face and leaned in.  He paused for a moment as they stared into each other's eyes.  Their breath began to mingle as the tension began to build.  When she sighed and closed her eyes, he closed the gap between them and brushed his lips gently across hers.

Her hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders, only stopping once she'd buried her fingers in his hair.  Raking her fingernails over his scalp, she pulled him closer to her as she deepened the kiss.  When he felt her body press against his, his lips parted in surprise.  Taking advantage of the situation, she swept her tongue over his bottom lip and was thrilled when his tongue tentatively brushed against hers.

In desperate need of air, she reluctantly pulled away from him to catch her breath.  He was just as breathless as her, and she couldn't keep the goofy smile off of her face.  Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked over Steve's shoulder to see Tony leaning against the door frame.  He stood up straight and gave her a wink before turning to head back down the hallway.

"What is it?" he asked, looking behind him, but seeing no one.

"Nothing," she said as she took his hand and started leading him toward her room.

"We're moving a little fast, don't you think."

"Maybe for you," she said over her shoulder as she continued walking.  "I've been waiting for this for ten years and you aren't getting any younger."

**Author's Note:**

> _Thank you for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  For the past two years, I've had an idea in the back of my mind on what Steve's 100th birthday would look like, but after watching Infinity War, I realized that those assumptions were way off base.  The team is broken down and no doubt exhausted from the battle and whatever they've been doing afterward.  I'd like to think that someone will remember his birthday, and who better than "us," the devoted fans who love and adore him from afar? What did you think of Bucky's video?  I'll readily admit I went through a dozen tissues writing that part! How about Tony's entrance?  I'll almost be disappoint if he doesn't make his comeback to AC/DC's Back in Black!  What do you think of Sharon and Ross?  I'm kinda shipping that now. . .  I look forward to your comments!_


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